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Creativity is a Habit that needs your Yes

Autumnal Sweden (Copyright Hanna Andersson)

 

When you stop doing something for a while you get out of the habit quickly. You might loose some of your courage to just jump in and Do It. Your muscles forget how to act and your brain puts up bars instead of free sky to dive into. When you stop for a break, even a short one, your mind concentrate on other tasks and forget how to focus on what’s important.

– Oh, how quickly the mundane and ordinary can invade your thoughts and become your life if you’re not mindful.

So what is important: To me it is to constantly create a beautiful world to live in, no matter how you do it. It’s a important work that can’t be stopped, that shouldn’t need hiatus and that should always be in front of your eyes.

You can create beauty in your world in many different ways. By looking at the changes of nature through your camera lens and capturing it’s essence. Through embroidery, painting, sketching, blogging, writing, singing, dancing, decorating, sewing… There are thousands of ways! I just happen to like them all a lot. I also know this: You can not be creative and capture this beauty by surfing the net, reading books or watching telly. It’s not creative and therefore not a possible road towards creativity – simply because all that is passive.

You need to create something with your life, from your life, in your life – by acting! It’s by doing these things that I come alive.

Capturing beauty, in what ever form, is my life goal. It’s my life. It’s called creativity by others, to me it’s the habit that makes up my days. During my months (!) of not blogging I’ve noticed two important things about my creativity. They are as follows.

1) Writing this blog

It helps keep up the creative habit for me. I blog about what I create, so that writing and sharing keeps me accountable for continuing to be creative. What once started as an experiment has become the thing that keeps me true to the creative habit! The blog wants posts and therefor I need to think about the projects I start and finish them so that I have something to share.

2) Sharing is bliss

Sharing makes everything I do much more fun!

The continuum is important to all creative work, as with all habits. A habit is defined by its occurrence in daily life. It’s something that you do without planning or thinking about it, because it’s your habit to do so. I like to think of creativity not as an act of courage, passion or even skill, but as an act of habit. Not that my creative work is not all of the above, because it is, but it’s the habit of doing it daily that keeps me going. It’s the habit that creates volumes of work because it ensures persistence and presence! And not to forget: personal development and change.

Thinking about creativity in this way makes it obvious that everyone can do it. It’s just a mindset, a decision. Do you want to be a creative or artistic person – or not? Do you have time to dedicate to making stuff – or not? Do you have the willpower to try something that might not work out as you see it in your head – or don’t you? I believe you can, should and ought to say yes to creativity in your life.

So will you say yes? Yes!

Yes please, yes mum, yes I will, I do, I can, I am, I want to!

Let’s create together, let’s get into the habit once again.

Thanks to everyone who has written me! To you all I will say this:

– Yes! I’m back to blogging, yes I am.

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47 Responses

  1. Yeah! She’s back! I have been back to your blog many times in the past few months to unearth your creative wisdom. I never come away uninspired! You are a gift to this blogging world Hanna! I will look forward to seeing your creativity in action with your posts! Glad you missed it!!!

  2. Thanks Eden!
    First I didn’t miss it at all, worried I’d get to caught up with it again, but now I just think I have to give it another try. I need it. Glad you enjoy it, thanks! *smiling big*

  3. Hej Hanna, it is great to see you back again and welcome, hope you had a relaxing and creative break…. I can only agree with Eden, for tis true, that your blog is inspiring and rarely do I leave without your having stimulated some idea within me, thank you

  4. Carol Ann (ainelivia)! Creativity has not stopped, never, but changed, morphed and come out in new ways. We’ll see. I feel so happy that my blog inspires you, thanks for commenting and checking in on me! :-)

  5. Don’t think I ever left a comment on your blog, but I’ve read quite a few of your posts, so I’m glad to see you’re back! Oh, and I completely agree with your statements about the creative habit and sharing. I’ve expierenced this so many times before.

    Love the photo and the autumn colours. And as you’re back… looking forward to seeing more!

    Greetings from the other side of the Baltic.

  6. Kristina, thanks! Always happy to meet a new commenter with a creative fun blog to check out. Love your beautiful photos too! When my mom saw my autumn photo she said:
    – Oh, that could be an embroidery! :-)

  9. Great to see you back in the flesh so to speak! Have been following your postings for the past few months but it’s not been the same.

  13. Dear Hanna,

    It’s lovely to read your words again. I have missed your blogging in the past few months. I look forward to your words and your projects.

    Creativity is vital to us. It’s like oxygen or water. Without it, we start to wilt like a flower. Keep on creating, keep on living.

    Welcome back!
    Sophie

  15. It’s good to hear that! Welcome back and be an inspiration, as you always were, I cannot wait to see what you’ve been up to all that time. *^v^*

  17. I am so glad you have returned to us ! You and your wonderful positive, creative energy were missed ! Yes ! Yes ! Yes!

  19. ♥ Super triple happy with cherries and whipped cream on top! I’ve missed your creative inspiration + positive spin on the world of art and creativity. Welcome back! ♥

  20. She’s back!!!! She has been very missed! Welcome back! I am so glad you are posting again. I hope you had a great and well deserved break. I missed my favorite blogger. Like everybody said you always make us feel more creative.

  21. I am very happy that you are back; I always enjoy reading your thoughts on creativity and seeing what you are working on! You are a true inspiration :-)

  22. Hi Hanna,

    I’ve never commented on your blog because I stumbled over it after you’d decided to take a hiatus. I thought to myself – that figures, I find a fantastic and creative blog, and the author decides to throw it in! So I am really pleased to hear you’re back!

    I don’t remember exactly what brought me to your blog in the first place, but I do know which page – it was this one: http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=806 and the third photo of the bee just captivated me, and gave me some ideas which I tried to capture photographically too.

    I look forward to reading what’s to come!

  23. So lovely to see you back to blogging, Hanna! I love this post, and look forward to seeing you in my morning blogs once again! XO

  24. Wow, thank you girls! YOU are my inspiration to write! But you’ve got it wrong if you think I ever “left” you hanging, I was always with you! ;-)

  26. Woohooo! I’ve been checking back every few weeks…so excited to see a new post. I love all the creativity you share.

  27. Welcome, back! I clicked on your link, and there you were! I am so happy to be reading you again! I’ve missed you.

  28. So glad you are back…missed you tons.

    I’ve been saying for years that I strongly believe that EVERYONE Is creative in some way, shape or form. Look what happens when people get together-they get stuff done! How? By being creative!!!!

  32. Oh the godesses have answered my prayers! Several of my favorite blogs were either finished or on a break these last months. I felt like I went to summer camp and when I got home everybody had moved away. It’s been lonely without you Hanna, but I sincerely hope that upon your return you do what’s best for you and your creative path!! xoxoxo tj in germany

  33. AUGHHH!!! I’m so GLAD!!

    Yay yay yay!!

    How are you, Hanna? Thank you for visiting me while you were on break! It always makes me happy.

    Yes, I made plans to create a plaque for my renovated art studio which just say ‘Mindful’. I think that will be my word for next year. (Peace is still holding sway as this year’s word.) It is surprising how easy it is to not be mindful. Being mindful helps with everything: with creating, with choosing happiness, with keeping from harming little creatures, and with being good to ourselves.

    Thank you for being so good!

  34. Yeah! You are back! I am so happy to see you online again. Your picture is beautiful as well. Oh for the fall colors… Because of our really dry year here in TX, we will miss the changing of the leaves, such that it is. Of course, now that we are getting rain again, the plants are confused. I had an Iris (yes an Iris!) bloom today! In October! Unfortunately, it will be coldish soon and then the leaves will fall right to the ground.
    So happy to see you back!

  35. Welcome Back Hanna!! Hope all is well with you!!

    Some people post once a week or three days a week.

    A depends on whats going on in their lives.

    God Bless You and Yours!!!

  38. So glad you’re back! I’ve really missed your inspiring posts! Ellie

  40. Hanna, thanks for this post. I read it a few days ago and it’s been in my mind ever since. I have let my creative habit slide over the years as I got busy with other things in life, and I’m trying to get it back. Your blog has always been an inspiration for doing that. I’m glad you’re back to blogging!

  41. S? roligt att se att du ?r tillbaka! Det kommer att bli ?nnu roligare att l?sa dig nu, n?r jag ocks? uppt?ckt art journaling, du ?r verkligen n?gon att inspireras av. F?rresten, hur g?r det hos Suzi, vilken workshop g?r du?

  42. It’s so good to see you back. I have been reading your Creative Year book over the summer (again) and it is still inspiring me. I can’t wait to see what projects you do next… Ali

  43. You’re baaaaack!!! I can’t believe it! I’m so excited to read all of your new posts. You are the one who got me started into kournaling, and I’m so happy to hear from you again. Also, you were the one who inspired me to put a blog of my own (although mostly it’s just a pixel blog and is still under renovation as of the moment), but I really am ecstatic right now. I’m so glad you’re hiatus has ended. :D

  45. welcome back! i am so happy, i have missed your blogging. your posts are an inspiration to me. i love the variety, the colors, the essence of creativity.